What Nightmares May Come
by Igiveup
Summary: Don's worst fears come true. Edited & Reposted


_Don't own the cast of Numb3rs, please do not sue._

Ever since his first murder case, Don has been having the same nightmare off and on through the years. He always knows he's dreaming, but he can never wake up or change it.It always starts the same way. Don's team is investigating a home where a family was murdered. Sometimes it's a trailer, other times a mansion. A few times it's been an apartment building. But the moment. Don steps across the threshold he finds himself in his brother's house.All is quiet except for a steady dripping. When Don goes into theliving room he sees his father lying in a chair. His throat has been ripped open, and blood is streaming down his arm and dripping off his fingers onto the floor.

Don runs through the house, searching for Charlie. He tries to callout but his voice doesn't make a sound. Finally he stands outside the door to Charlie's bedroom. Charlie is lying on the floor in a pool of blood.Don wants to run, but his legs move under their own power and pull him into the room. Don kneels at his brother's side. Now it's his hands that move on his own as they turn Charlie over. The genius spark is no longer in Charlie's eyes. In fact, Charlie has no eyes at all. They've been scratched out. Empty, bloody sockets stare back at Don. Only then does the dream relese its hold. Don screamed. He always did. He got up to get ready for work, even though it was only three-thirty. He never went back to bed after the nightmare. The worst part was never knowing when the dream would appear. He would sometimes go three whole months without it but it would always come back. The only good thing was that since his mother died of cancer she stopped appearing in the dream. He didn't have to worry about finding her bloody corpse anymore. As he was getting dressed, Don made a mental note to call Alan and Charlie and tell them he loved them. He always did that after the nightmare. Sometimes right away if it wasn't too early. Because in the back of Don's mind,he always feared that one day his dream could come true.A few days later Don drove to Charlie's house. Another case had been solved and Don wanted to thank Charlie for his help. He pulled intothe driveway and let himself in the house with his spare key.

"Dad? Charlie?" he called. There was no answer. The t.v. was on in

the living room. But when Don walked in, no one was there. He turned off the t.v.

"Dad? Charlie?" Still no answer. Don's head hurt and he was starting to feel a little woozy. Was it panic?

Don went into the kitchen. What he saw there made his blood run cold.

Alan was lying motionless on the kitchen floor.

Don ran to his father's side. Fingers shaking he checked for a pulse.It was weak and unsteady, but it was there. Don looked around and noticed that Alan had been cooking something on the stove. The stovewas on full blast but there was no blue flame. "My God." Don whispered. He turned off the stove. He had to get Alan out of there.Hooking his hands under his father's arms Don dragged him outside. He gently laid his father on the lawn before running back into the house to get Charlie.

He search through room after room, calling Charlie's name. Finally he came to Charlie's room. Charlie was lying face down on the bed. Don gently turned him over. Charlie's eyelids fluttered. "Don?" he mumbled. Don lifted Charlie up in his arms. "Come on buddy we need to get some fresh air." He gently laid his brother on the grass next toAlan. Then he called nine-one-one. Alan and Charlie made a full recovery. A few weeks later the three Eppes men went to a restaurant.

"Damn gas stove," said Alan. "Tomorrow I'm buying an electric one.

Less dangerous."

Charlie started to say something about the statistical dangers of gas stoves over electric ones when Alan silenced him with a look. Charlie shrugged and turned to Don. "Are you all right? You've been pretty quiet."

Don sat with his hand covering his eyes. "I'm all right buddy. Just a little tired."

They paid their bill and left. In the car, Alan asked Don if he was really all right. Don turned away from the window. Charlie could see in the refection of the rearview mirror that Don was crying. Charlie put a hand on his shoulder. Alan took Don's hand.

When Don spoke, his voice shook. "If I had shown five minutes later..." He stopped, unable to complete that thought.

"But you didn't" said Charlie.

"That's right," said Alan. "No reason to get upset over what didn'thappen."

Don swallowed. "I have nightmares sometimes...where I find you guys dead...when I saw you lying there Dad I thought...that my nightmare had come true." his voice broke.

They came to a red light. Charlie unfastened his seatbelt and hugged

Don from behind.

"I always wondered how you can do your job and not have nightmares.

Now I know you can't. You saved our lives Don. Don't you ever forget that."

The End


End file.
